Ingraham quits politics

Hubert Ingraham announces his resignation.

As of Tuesday, May 8, 2012

By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Chief Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

IN an emotional address to the nation last night, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham conceded defeat to the PLP and resigned as the head of the Free National Movement.

Thanking his supporters and the people of North Abaco for electing him to the House of Assembly for the eighth consecutive time, Mr Ingraham shocked the handful of FNM supporters gathered at the party's headquarters by announcing shortly before 10pm that he would not take his seat in Parliament and would instead return to private life.

"I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Bahamian people who gave me the opportunity to serve them as Prime Minister for nearly 15 years. I now leave you and say thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Goodnight, and goodbye," he said.

Mr Ingraham's address came after a nail-biting run off in the polls which saw the FNM leading at one point, then trailing, and finally being swept out of office.

In Mr Ingraham's emotional concession, he thanked all of his party's candidates, officers, members, supporters, and ground troops and FNM supporters throughout the country for their loyalty, support, and kindness towards him and his family.

"To my grandchildren who named me 'Papa', I want to thank them for their encouragement. I thank my children for their love and support. I thank my wife most profusely for standing with me. I also want to thank my friend Alphonso 'Boogaloo' Elliot - who has been with me and is a lifelong friend.

"I know somewhere in heaven 'Mama' is smiling on her boy. I promised her I would do the best I could while I was here and I did. From the bottom of my heart I thank all," he said.

The FNM's defeat - which came as a massive shock to many supporters - was described by its party insiders as a vote against the government and its policies over the past five years.

Speaking with The Tribune last night, FNM insiders said that despite the loss, they still believe that Mr Ingraham did an amazing job given all of his accomplishments in this last term.

One said: "With these accomplishments there were some complications. Obviously the populace was not willing to concede.

"They were not prepared to be inconvenienced with some of the plans that the Ingraham government was responsible for.

"So the people had a lot of anxieties that the government was not able to address. Some of them they could, but the most constant anxieties were crime and everything tangible to that which is very emotive.

"The other thing was the economy which I believe the government did a stellar job with. The fact of the matter is they did not lay off a single Bahamian - which is amazing. But when you see who came out against the government - the unions, customs, immigration, the government could not afford to give them what they wanted. And we paid for it at the polls.

"This vote tonight was not for the best interest of the Bahamian people. It was very short sighted, and I think the decision was an emotive one, and one not made in the best interest of the long term for the Bahamian people."

The party's insider said that Ingraham's resignation as leader of the party and from Parliament was 'exemplary.'

He added: "Mr Ingraham has served with distinction. There is no question about that.

"I think Perry Christie is going to find it very difficult to step into Mr Ingraham's shoes. As he was unable to effectively govern form 2002 to 2007 I believe that time will repeat itself."

Observer 12 years, 7 months ago

Who, exactly, is the insider? Seems to be the fox that cried sour grapes. If insider is a true, true Bahamian, insider should work just as fastidiously as before the election. Best wishes.

TalRussell 12 years, 7 months ago

All l that is left for the FNM/UBP is to decide upon the wording for the inscription on their party's tombstone. Maybe the rejected Tommy can provide them with a free burial plot to lay the party to its final resting place up at their family graveyard.

welly 12 years, 7 months ago

Apostle I agree with you the man analyzed the situation and went out on his own terms.

John 12 years, 7 months ago

So Business owners felt threatened by this. Many felt that they were not only being prosecuted but will be persecuted under another 5 years of FNM government..

And of course there is the crime issue..more than 490 lives lost in 5 years.. The government was spending a billion on the new airport and hundreds of nillions more on other infrastructure.to build the tourist product..but the average Bahamian did not feel safe in his/her own home or own country for that matter. And the FNM wanted to keep it a secret from the rest of the world that young Bahamians were being slaughtered on an almost dialy basis. They admitted that they were powerless to do anything about it. and this got a lot of people thinking..hmmm maybe Urban Renewal was more effective than $2 million worth of new police cars..

Hubert Ingraham must now realize that good performance alone does not cut it with Bahamians. The human element must be present. He must realize that there are things that are sacred in this country (like Lady Pindling) and when you telling (PLP) children their papa( Perry Christie) aint no good and you attack grammy too, you set yourself up for the biggest cut tail in Bahamian History!!

biggiefries 12 years, 7 months ago

well you talk about urban renewal, which is all the christe administration really had to show from its last term, i personally love tha program but it is to costly to run, which is probally why the plp was unable to acomplish anything else. they say they are going to restart it i hope they find a way to fund it. if not there wil deffinately be no salary increases like they promised and Perry is too affraid to legalize the numbers rachet

perspective 12 years, 7 months ago

HUBERT INGRAHAM WAS THE CONSUMMATE NATION BUILDER......I THANK HIM FOR HIS WORK IN ATTEMPTING TO CREATE A MODERN AND SOPHISTICATED COUNTRY.

The Bahamian electorate is becoming increasingly shortsighted and are showing all the signs of devolving once again into an unsophisticated ghetto society as we did in the drug infested latter Pindling years......The PLP I am sure is happy for this deterioration and will use it to their advantage as Jamaica did with its Garrison politics.

HUBERT INGRAHAM IN THIS LAST TERM.....Built new roads and highways; Modernized the Airport; Built the Stadium; Built The Straw Market; Built three New schools; Modernized Batelco; Built a Brand new Hospital wing; Beautifully Revamped Saunders Beach; Completed the Baha Mar deal; Built the new court building...and much more......all in the worlds worst recession Without mass firing of Bahamian workers (as was the case in the rest of the World)

Bahamians chose to fire and ridicule this hero of a prime minister and chose hype instead.

Throughout the world black nations complain about their plight......but often as black people our plight is out choosing. Bahamians were unwilling to sacrifice for Ingrahams vision of a better country..........A cursed day in Bahamial politics..........we will regret it.!!

SDRFC 12 years, 7 months ago

@John....I have not lived in the Bahamas since the age of 17 when I left for university but have continued to keep my country near and dear for over 25 years. I am not PLP, FNM, nor DNA, but I am a son of the soil (mostly rock but...whatever). One thing that you and "FNMs in denial" have to realize is that the Bahamian electorate is far more sophisticated than politicos think they are. The same political games of pre-independence that created a "gimme" society and which LO Pindling capitalized on is no more. Providing essential resources to a society are nothing to tout and brag on. In a 21st century Bahamas, good roads, water, infrastructure, health facilities, etc. should be expected and commonplace for a progressive modern-day society. What transformative 21st century leadership in the Bahamas should be about is creating our own home-grown Sol Kerzner for example. Stop importing opportunity and exporting the prosperity derived from it period.

Empowering the minds of Bahamians to own their country is the biggest challenge for governance in the Bahamas today. Helping Bahamians to realize their full potential as world citizens. Moving beyond the same old privileged class of Bahamians (Symonnettes, Kelly's, etc.). Creating a new vibrant business/entrepreneural class of Bahamians that can innovate and broaden the tourism-focused industrial base. There is no need for Bahamians to acquire tertiary education or improve on the national "D" average when all they need is to make up beds, fix mixed drinks, shake cowbells, and say .."welcome to the bahamas". Put the Sir Stafford Sands ecomonic model to bed...Please.

Hubert did some good. I enjoyed him/his character immensely, but he was tutored by LO's opearting model which is outdated in a modern Bahamas. Perry! Watch out cause if you come with the same game, you will find yourself uttering the same words Hubert did Monday night.

coakleysd

John 12 years, 7 months ago

PART 1. HUBERT INGRAHAM became too arrogant and nasty in the final days leading up to election. Not only did he cuss out and attack the PLP, but he seem to want to attack and scandalize everything and everyone that did not support the FNM. When he attacked Lady P., this raised many eyebrows in the FNM,and, in fact, it caused many die hard supporters to take their votes elsewhere. When Hubert told young PLP's to 'come to papa' and vote FNM, little did he realize that more than half the young people in this country have experience with step daddies. They know step daddies have no real love for you: they only do things for you to get what they want. So like obedient children, they put on the red t-shirts and put red flags on their cars and went to papa, while Hubert continued to cuss out their reail daddy (Perry). But come election day the red came off and the true Gold came out and they voted for their real daddy because they wasnt sacred of 'papa' no more and they was mad becuase of how 'papa' done cuss grammy out. So the FNM lost the young PLP vote and the undecided votes wholesale.

Then there were forces within the government that sabotaged the FNM's campaign to return to office. The dump was set on fire the same day election was called smoking out residents in the west and soutwest. B.E.C was disconnecting the same consumers lights every two weeks since December, claiming that they were following the prime minister's instructions. Calls to Hubert's off office were met with the unconcerned response,"everything must be put in writing." ANd the person responsible for disconnections had a family member running for another party.

In addition, BEC was having or making power outages in certain areas, three, four, five even six times a day! Homeowners were faustrated and many businesses found it impossible to operate.

Then just days before the election, National Insurance, decides to serve summoneses on bsinesses that were only a few months behind on their NI contributions. Many of these were the same businesses that suffered for years under the road improvement project and were only now starting to recover.They were promised relief by Hubert Ingraham but now they were being prosecuted. They felt threatened, that they may be even persecuted under another 5 years of FNM...so they decided to vote otherwise!

biggiefries 12 years, 7 months ago

its not ok for bahamains to look for the goverment to overlook there responsibllites if you have bills pay them the government has to do the same. but that corrupt element is part of what is fueling the crime problem we have i have talked with alot of young people and that tred is wide spread believe it or not, i am a youth leader in my church and this problem with crime will only be addressed when we send a strong message across the board. we also need to learn that if we owe someone or company we should contact them and see if arrangments could be made. bahamains must learn to take reponsiblity for there actions

concernedcitizen 12 years, 7 months ago

THANK YOU HUBERT INGRAHAM FOR ALL YOU DID FOR US !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WOULD RETIRE TOO IF THE PUBLIC WAS TOO MYOPIC TO REALIZE YOUR VISION ..AS FOR LADY PINDLING SHE STARTED IT AND WAS FAIR GAME ..WILL MRS CHRISTIE RETURN TO ATLANTA OR STICK AROUND TO SEE IF SHE IS AN OIL BARONESS ???ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU MR INGRAHAM YOUR WORK , IT IS THERE FOR ALL WHO ARE NOT BLIND TO SEE FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Philosopher_King 12 years, 7 months ago

The Dear Maximum Leader once again only served the agenda of select few, choosing to build shiny facades rather than develop the people or nation holistically. As directed by his foreign investor masters he address their demands first and only used capital work projects to redirect wealth back toward the Old Bahamian Families of the merchant class mostly. His utter disregard for public debate on major issues affecting the majority of Bahamians and dictatorial one man band style caused him to be utterly rebuked at the polls across the length and breath of the Bahamas. Sorry he wasn't a true intellect, great nation builder or statesman just an adept island politician with a lot of guile and cunning whose reign of terror has come to an end

SDRFC 12 years, 7 months ago

Amen!!

TalRussell 12 years, 7 months ago

Compare this sombre not like the before photos of a fabulously confident Ingraham on the campaign trail and you sense that maybe for the very first time in five years he had come to acknowledge that he and all his arrogance had failed his FNM party. He sure looks rejected here.

newcomer2012 12 years, 7 months ago

@SDRFC very good point:

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